Philanthropy Tank winner creates barrier-free Delray Beach playground

Steven E. Purcell/Courtesy

Ava Goldstone and Bob Carter, the sponsor of the Association of Fundraising Professionals CARTER Awards for Youth in Philanthropy. Goldstone was recognized as the winner of the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award.

Ava Goldstone and Bob Carter, the sponsor of the Association of Fundraising Professionals CARTER Awards for Youth in Philanthropy. Goldstone was recognized as the winner of the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award. (Steven E. Purcell/Courtesy)

As a volunteer with special needs children, Ava Goldstone, a senior at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, knows firsthand the challenges children with special needs face. That's why the Boca Raton resident pitched her idea for Boundless Dreams, a barrier-free playground, to Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank.

Goldstone was a finalist in the 2017 Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank, and her idea landed her $15,000 toward the playground, which broke ground last November at Robert P. Miller Park adjacent to the Miracle League Field, where she volunteers, in Delray Beach .

Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank empowers the next generation of change makers or young philanthropists in grades 7 to 12 in Palm Beach County.

"We were enamored with her and her project. To see the passion and dreams come to life in a 3-minute pitch was incredible. The biggest thing that stood out about Ava was her commitment to Miracle League and to the Boundless Dreams project," said January Romero Reissman, Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank executive director.

There is a standard playground at Miller Park now, just steps away from the field that the children from Miracle League of Palm Beach County, the baseball league for children with special needs, like to play on, Goldstone said.

But she noticed there were quite a few children who couldn't use the playground.

"I would see these kids and the dejection on their faces and how absolutely devastated they were that they couldn't physically participate, and so that's how the Boundless Dreams playground project was born," she said.

Through research online, Goldstone learned about the Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank and submitted a written application for Boundless Dreams.

After she was notified that she was a finalist, she attended workshops and meetings along with the other finalists to help prepare her for the pitch, in which she presented her idea to a live audience.

Her idea for Boundless Dreams includes a more inclusive playground in which children of all abilities can utilize slides, monkey bars, sensory panels, a butterfly garden, sun reflectors that reflect things onto the floor and shaded areas, and should open in late May, she said.

"The ripple effect of our organization has brought Ava to the Miracle League and we cannot thank her enough for her contribution to the Miracle League's efforts to build a barrier-free playground in Delray Beach," said Julia Kadel, Miracle League co-founder and executive director.

In addition to the funds she received from Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank, Goldstone also helped Kadel apply for grants from the charitable organizations Woman's Impact 100 and Men's Impact 100.

"It's organizations like the Woman's Impact 100, Men's Impact 100, city of Delray Beach, the Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank and individuals like Ava Goldstone who allowed the us to make the Boundless Dreams playground a reality," Kadel said.

During her Philanthropy Tank pitch, one person in the audience also contributed $15,000 for an ADA ramp and another person who has a private philanthropic foundation contributed $25,000.

"This isn't for me. I'm doing it for the kids I love that I volunteer with. It's for something greater than myself. The fact I was able to secure funding that I believe is so important and other people were able to see the intrinsic value of that it made me feel very good like I was really making an impact," Goldstone said.

Additionally, Goldstone raised $5,000 by selling a calendar she made and had a golf event to raise money for the playground and Miracle League, she said.

She was also recently recognized as the winner of the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, an international award that recognizes those whose lifetime or long-term achievements have made a significant impact on society. She was nominated by her mentor at Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank.

"I was really honored. I don't do this for the recognition. I do it because I genuinely care about the kids and I think that what I am doing is something that should already be in place, but unfortunately, it's not so I feel it's a necessity," she said. "I don't feel it's about me. I'm doing it for them. I'm being an advocate for them, giving kids who don't have a voice, a voice. That's my goal."